Three youth wrestling programs to use Cobre facilities

A third youth wrestling program is being organized within the territory of the Cobre Consolidated Schools, and despite a brief controversy with the Cobre Youth Wrestling Team’s coach, Ruben Udero, a Board of Education decision on Monday evening may have resolved the conflict.

The board tabled a motion Monday to allow Udero to use facilities at Cobre to support his youth wrestling program, saying that they wanted the three groups to come together, work out a schedule, and make sure all groups can use the facilities equally.

“We spoke with Mr. Udero a while ago, and we did tell him that there’s some things that we need to get done and in place by next board meeting. Then we will look at the approval for the use of facilities,” board President Toy Sepulveda said.

Board member Frank Cordova echoed Sepulveda’s comment, and said that they are not denying the longtime youth coach the use of district facilities.

“When we talked with Mr. Udero, we let him know by no means were we telling him not to use the facilities,” he said. “What we advised him to do was get with the high school personnel and come up with a plan and dates and a schedule, and at that time come back to us.”

Udero told the Daily Press that he had heard a rumor that he was being pushed out from coaching by being cut off from district facilities, but after speaking with Superintendent Robert Mendoza and other members of the board, he felt more at ease.

“It was kind of hard for me to believe that. So I started doing some research to find out what was going on, because I couldn’t believe it. I started talking to the superintendent, and they told me that the [high] school head coach [Jared Gallegos] wanted to make a feeder program,” Udero said. “What we’re going to do is form a plan where the three youth teams can all use the facilities. I said that if I had known that from the beginning, I wouldn’t even be here, but nobody told me that.”

After the board meeting, Udero said he is not in the slightest bit worried that his program will not have a place to practice. He added that his program is the longest-running in the county, and has produced many wrestlers who have gone on to be state champions through the Cobre program.

“We are not saying he can’t have his program,” Sepulveda said. “He can have whatever kids want to join or whatever, that’s out of our control, the only thing we have is the use of facilities, and we have to set up a schedule for that.”

In other business, the board approved three different updates to policy for sick leave, annual leave and bereavement.

Mendoza also noted that the board’s student representative was not there, even though school has started, but that she would attend the next meeting to discuss portion sizes for food at the high school.

“I met with the student advisory committee and it went very well. Hannah Barnett could not attend because she was having her volleyball scrimmage with Animas,” Mendoza said.

The board also approved the use of district facilities for the Southwest Youth Football League.